Did you ever wonder what are the main ingredients in having happy customers? You’ll find a lot of tips on Google about how to make your guests happy, but do they actually work? I bet you are tired of hearing the same things:
“Build customer loyalty to increase customer satisfaction.”
“Avoid making these customer retention mistakes.”
“Set customer expectations early.”
In this article, you’ll find exactly what you need. We handpicked the best B&Bs from sites like Tripadvisor and asked their owners about the key ingredients to having happy guests.
Here are the answers we got from 20 of them, full of wisdom and sincerity:
1. Korby – Sleeping Bulldog Bed and Breakfast LLC
“One of the most important things (that a guest commented to me on) was the fact that I greet the Guests by the first name when they arrived at the front door. If gives them a welcoming feeling when they arrive at a new place.
For instance, we offer the usually cookies or brownies for them in the lobby, but in the guest closet we offer popcorn, extra snacks, soda and water.”
2. Barb Shadomy – STONEHURST PLACE
“Delivering the perfect guest experience is why we get up and go to work every day at Stonehurst Place. It’s just that simple. Everything we do – from how we behave ourselves with each other, with our guests, on the phone or in person – it’s the basis for our service standards of excellence. We constantly look for ways to enhance our guest experience, to make it more local and relevant, and to improve it just that little bit more any time we can.
We set the bar high and move it higher – adapting new technology, meeting new service expectations from our increasingly diverse guest base; improving everywhere we can.
Stonehurst Place is a treat for all the senses, and it takes a dedicated and engaged team to deliver that.”
3. Tim Allen – A.G. Thomson House Bed and Breakfast
“Angie and I have a very simple philosophy: treat people how you’d want to be treated.
Nothing about the hospitality business is rocket science. Our guests are generally on vacation so they are already happy. Often they are celebrating a birthday or anniversary. I always say that our guests arrive in the parking lot in a good mood.”
4. The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel
“An ideal romantic escape, wedding destination or health and wellness retreat.
The Spa Retreat features a full-service luxury day spa offering classic aesthetic treatments with a Jamaican flair. The adults only, Spa Retreat features a sea water pool, sandy beach deck, A/C, wireless internet, in-room safe, yoga and specialty tours to enhance your experience.
Located on nearly 2 acres of oceanfront, the unique property extends from a white sandy beach into exotic gray cliffs both overlooking the vibrant turquoise hues of the Caribbean Sea. For the most discerning guest, enjoy your own private Retreat Suite with a gorgeous ocean view! Sleep soundly on your Platinum Serta King bed. Your suite contains a frameless shower, double vanity, and a private roof terrace to suntan or watches the famous Negril sunset.”
5. Kristin Petrelluzzi – Hotel L’Esplanade
“I have been in the hotel business for 20 years. I started out at Le Petit Hotel back in 1996 with no prior hotel experience. I have a double major in Psychology and Human Communication so I guess that has helped a bit, certainly with guest relations! I was handed Le Petit Hotel and hit the ground running. I knew my objective was simple, give the best customer service out there…’no’ simply is not in our vocabulary. Behind this is our commitment to spending resources on enhancing the guest experience, as opposed to high priced marketing campaigns etc… We trust that if we create an A+ experience for our guests, they will not only spread the good word but also return themselves. This formula seems to have worked very well for us. 16 years ago I came up to Hotel L’Esplanade to run it, while still overseeing Le Petit Hotel.
The secret is to make guests feel that they have found something so special that they want to share it with the world. It is truly all about old fashioned hard work and genuine hospitality; create a great first impression, create an environment where your guest wants to stay loyal to you, customize the experience, this is not one size fits all, accept your mistakes, build relationships. It’s not rocket science!”
6. Brendan Boyle – POD Boutique Hotel
“My number one policy at the hotel is to listen and adapt to feedback. Guests know what they want and it’s amazing to see a trend develop in certain hotel shortcomings. We adapt to these trends (they override any long-term policy / strategy in place) and by doing this, we have remained the #1 hotel in our area. We are ruthless with our recruitment and only take on the very best of candidates, this along with the above is a winning combination for any hospitality operation.”
7. Terry – Casa Portagioia
“From our part, the first lines of our website has always said “Casa Portagioia is an elegant yet relaxed country retreat in Tuscany – somewhere between a country hotel and your best friend’s home. A place where you can relax, take a time to reflect on your travels and to be energized and enthused to see more of the wonderful places Tuscany have to offer”.
All of this is an exact description of what our guests can expect. Behind all of this is the highest attention to detail as far as the rooms, grounds and services are concerned – however, it is taking a real interest, being slightly inquisitive, treating people as friends – not guests. Being able to introduce Mike and Sara to John and Mary with some linkage and knowledge that they might make great breakfast partners or more.”
8. Kura
“The key for us at Kura is service, which is a clichéd answer as every hotel will tell you that, but we look at things a little bit differently. With only 6 rooms the level of service we are able to offer is unlike what you will find at other hotels. We have many guests who come back year after year as we are able to create relationships with the guests and learn what they like to do, eat, or experience when they are traveling. We are there to meet them every step of the way… and the view isn’t bad either!”
9. John – Pousada Vivenda Paraty – Home
“I’ve learned that SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL – in other words, I didn’t want to create a guest house with numerous apartments, instead I went for something small with just 2 double bungalows and 1 double suite to give guests more privacy and of course providing sufficient income for surviving comfortably.
Guests are not welcomed into a reception room to hear – “fill in this form and here’s your key with a number on it!” I open the door and personally greet all my guests and make them feel immediately at home.
USE THE 5 SENSES when creating your space – to see, hear, listen, smell and taste – tastefully decorated and well-lit – good music while eating breakfast or sitting by the pool – an ambiance perfume of lemon grass for when guests arrive in their room and finally a delicious homemade breakfast – nothing better!”
10. Douglass Hughes – Casa Xanadu
“TEAMWORK: Have your staff work as a “team”. This may be difficult in a Latino atmosphere but they will if you as the owner know how to promote teamwork. Here’s what I learned: Pull everyone together monthly and start off by thanking them and explaining that because of them we finished another month of 5 stars.
Ask for suggestions and say, “Hey that’s a good idea, what do the rest of you think of Maria’s suggestion?” If you don’t like the suggestion, say “OK. Hmm.. what do the rest of you think about her idea? Any comments?
Never single someone out as being special. Everyone is special. This became contagious and while receiving a reservation the person in reservations referred to the caller on the phone as “special”. He asked why he was special? She replied, “At Casa Xanadu all of our guests are special.” She meant it. I’ve never had a hotel make me feel special! What I get is a receipt, a key, directions to the elevator and “need help with your luggage?”
At happy staff imparts a positive message to guests. If you hate your boss it will come across to the guest and make them wish they were somewhere else. You do not want that. Do whatever it takes but each and every employee has to think you an owner are a wonderful person. If that’s a challenge you are probably in the wrong business.
TRAINING: Explain who your market is, where the hotel’s income comes from, and how the “team” working together can get “good reviews” and why “good reviews” are so important. (In our 4 years to date we are running 99.99% 5-Star. Here are some examples.)
A gentleman I will never forget from Argentina got up the 2nd day of his visit and as he walked to the kitchen area (smelling coffee no doubt), he saw Maria coming out the doorway with a cappuccino in her hands. “Now I’d like one of those for myself, too he said (in Spanish). Maria said, “Oh, this I actually made for you!”. The Argentinian replied, “But how did you know?” She replied that she heard him getting up as she passed by his suite and knew he’d be wanting a cappuccino like a day before. I mention this in detail because his review listed all of the things that he didn’t like about Casa Xanadu. He then gave us 5 Stars because “of the way he was treated by our staff”. So nobody is perfect and sometimes you can’t please everyone, but if your staff is that good even picky guests will forgive you.
Blackmail. It is now popular to blackmail hotels, threatening for something you don’t deserve. If your hotel was wrong, admit it responding to the review and promise that it was taken care of. I had that happen when the lack of hot water was reported in a 5-star review. I explained the complaint turned out to be accurate and it was taken care of. Equally, if it was inaccurate to say so and explain why. You get to tell your side as well. If you make no response its not good. We got blackmailed by a couple who had a late night flight and wanted access to a suite to use until 11 PM. They refused to pay anything extra to cover the costs of laundry and re-cleaning everything as is our practice. They later claimed horrible things and gave Casa Xanadu 3 stars, the only not 5-star review we ever received.
Cleanliness. We’ve always been super clean because that’s part of Nicaraguan culture. But I received a review from a Canadian elderly lady who admitted that she got down on her hands and knees looking for dirt swept into a hiding place. There was none, of course. But she made it the focus of her review and printed the works C L E A N in the review. I inspect personally for cleanliness now.
Convert mistakes into a positive, showing what you’re really made of. These were guests. They are special people.”
11. Sharon Rooney – Four Sisters Inns
“The key ingredients to our success have not changed since the beginning, though our company has grown from 1 to now 16 properties since our start in 1976: Hire a caring staff and provide authentic, warm service. Provide a delicious breakfast every morning so guests have a great start to their day. Provide lovely accommodations in fun locations, and add seasonal packages to entice them back. And — our signature — always offer guests freshly baked cookies upon check-in!”
12. Cyndi Humphrey – The Cedar House Inn
“There are many ways to improve your guest’s experience, and sometimes the best ideas are the simple ones…Quick fixes to provide your guests with a genuinely warm welcome and a special memory that will bring them back to you again and again.
Every day we walk through our doors, usually before sunrise, busy with pressing issues, preparing to take on the day. With that level of focus, we often overlook little details critical to a great first impression.
Right outside your door…the plant that needs watering, tired mulch, bits of trash left behind, the paint chips on the front door, the leaves that need to be swept, feisty little weeds, a little mold on the fountain, smudges on the windows…Nothing horrible, but definitely not the best.
Equally important, your team…We welcome the staff as we do every morning, but may not take the time to really notice their appearance, their energy, or their attitude. This very well may be the person that greets your guests on arrival, the person that represents your property and most importantly you! Bed and Breakfasts, Inns and Small Hotels have to pay particular attention the appearance of their staff because typically their team is not in a uniform and often are in casual clothing. Look in the mirror, this holds true for the owners and management as well! If you are literally the “Chief Cook and Bottle Washer” then wrinkles, stains and tell-tale signs of a busy day can sneak up on you.
Remember that your first-time guests (especially novice B&B guests) don’t know what to expect when checking in, having been used to a hotel front desk. They are relying on you or your staff to meet or exceed their expectations. They notice everything!
First Five Feet – First Five Minutes doesn’t need to be hard or expensive but you DO have to be brutally honest with yourself…In fact to get the best result ask a colleague or friend (you trust) to critique you and your property! While the process is quick and easy it can be a real eye opener. It may sting a little, but it is well worth embracing the feedback. Better that than reading negative impressions in a review!
Approach your property’s entrance and really examine the First Five Feet. Take the time to look at your entrance area through your guest’s eyes. Is it well presented, inviting, safe? Make notes, make improvements, make plans…little things mean a lot!
Next, check out your staff…Hair, clothing, jewelry, manicures…If you were a guest at your property, what would you think? The First Five Minutes a guest spends with you or your staff sets the tone for the remainder of their trip. They need to feel welcomed, secure, and excited about their visit. You are in the unique position to help them create a lasting memory and ideally for you, a repeat guest!
If you really feel like there is no work to be done, congratulations (but you may want to look again!) Everyone else, give it try. First Five Feet – First Five Minutes a quick fix toward 5 Stars!”
13. Sebastian Poch – Cama e Café Olinda
“Of course there are many aspects and details responsible for the satisfaction and the happiness of travelers, too many to list them here. Especially as each guest has individual likes and needs and also as each B&B (or even hostel, pousada or hotel) has its very proper proposal.
But, based on our own experience and without any doubt, I want to highlight one important ingredient, certainly the basic condition for happiness and satisfaction of guests. And this is valid for all guests:
I am talking about fulfilled expectations and the sometimes existing gap between these expectations and reality. And the perfect tool to make sure that you meet your guests’ expectations is communication.
The better you communicate the details of your product, and the clearer the description of your facilities and characteristics, the smaller the possibility of frustrating your guests. If your guests know exactly what they booked and pay for, there will be no negative surprise, on arrival or during the stay.
The modern traveler is his own travel agency. Today you can buy your flight ticket and book your hotel, or even events and excursions, easily from home. The planning of the holiday or stay, sometimes months before the beginning of the trip, is already part of the pleasure.
To do this planning, people spend hours, days and weeks, reading descriptions, seeing colorful pictures and reading hundreds of reviews on specialized sites on the internet. And that is the exact moment where expectations are created.
And people will then have these pictures and descriptions in their minds, for weeks and months, until the start of the holiday.”
14. Gabriel – Awasi Atacama
“At Awasi Atacama and Awasi Patagonia (both Relais & Chateaux hotels), we have a ratio of more than 6 members of staff per guest. This is the real key to providing excellent service. Our aim is to always exceed the expectations of our guests.
We have just 10 suites in the Atacama and 14 villas in Patagonia, both hotels are intimate and each guest’s experience is tailor made – the main way we do this is by providing each room with a private 4WD and personal guide for the duration of their stay. As members of R&C, we have the highest standards when it comes to accommodation and food. Our restaurant serves seasonal produce in an innovative and sophisticated way. We work very hard as a team to provide one of the most memorable holiday experiences for our guests.”
15. María José – Casa El Eden
“For a small luxury hotel or B&B, we find that the main ingredient to having happy guests is personalized care and service. Casa El Edén is a wonderful restored historic mansion, the rooms are very large, the furniture is elegant and we have all the modern conveniences.
Yet most if not all our guests stress the fact that what makes a stay at Casa El Edén unforgettable are the owners and managers.
Blanca and Mario take care of their hosts as if they were part of their family. They stay up late at night or get up early in the morning to personally welcome them and say goodbye. They serve breakfast and have conversations with their guests whenever the guests want. Blanca and Mario provide any information a guest may need or desire; they make reservations at the best restaurants in town, arrange taxis, organize tours; and whenever they can, they provide a small personalized extra service to each of their guests.
Casa El Eden’s short and modest success story is not only but to a very large extent built on the dedication and authentic hospitality of Blanca and Mario. When our guests enter Casa El Edén, they can almost immediately feel that their happiness is our main concern – and that is precisely what makes them happy.”
16. Cyril Bernard – Riad l’Orangeraie
“I have discovered (after 13 years running our hotel) that actually what matters the most for our guests is the connection with the members of staff and the individual, personalized attention. Communication and connection between people (even more so in the western world) have become more difficult and people are more and more individualistic, spending more time on their phones and technology, rather than communicating with real individuals.
I think that more than anything else, our guests truly appreciate being genuinely considered as guests and not as customers, as human beings and not as numbers. Most of our clients really like interacting with the staff and myself in a genuine sort of way, talking to us not only about Morocco and things that they can do here but more generally about their life and their experiences.
This is our experience in a small hotel where we don’t have a large number of guests and may not apply to bigger hotels.”
“First of all I don’t know which are the key ingredients but I’m pretty sure that you must work hard, every single day, do your best, do your work with love and passion and treat people much better than your friend
From my previous work as an international HR in the fashion industry I’ve been traveled a lot..but also as a bag pack worldwide…so I know well what I would like a b&b offer me as a guest
The most important are exceed their expectations…good pousadas are millions.. but the difference is the personal touch, the small details and a personal solution to each one.
ALSO it’s very important to know very well thick is your guests objective; my b&b is not for everybody,,,it’s for very specific people who are looking for this kind of experience nice; to be in the nature, in the middle of the Atlantic Forrest, with no hot water…but with very cozy and comfortable bungalows and the best tips and help coming from the owners.
Food is chapter apart; you must care a lot and we have our garden and we offer fresh and organic breakfast made with love and best experience ever during the dinner with soft light, candles, incense, nice music…super attention with details..flowers, stars.. and the best fresh food made with love
We prefer to be small and pay attention to everybody than to be bigger and not to have time for each guest
You have to choose how big you would like to be…what kind of guests would you like to have ( the ones you are sure they will be happy in your b&b..) , be honest and give another option of accommodation for that possible guests you feel is not going to be what they are looking for,..or they are not going to be happy
Work hard…. be positive and nothing is a problem… everything has a solution …and give the answers before they ask you the questions…you already know what the people want so give them before they have neither think about it,..this a big differential and exceed their expectations.
Think about the person you have in front and not just about business.”
18. Gilles – Riad Abaca Badra
“Our will is all to implement so that our customers pass a good stay, for that, the reception is a priority. We spend approximately an hour to present Marrakesh around a mint tea, which should be visited should be made and what one should not make.
This moment is important, the Muslim countries have, in Europe, a negative image, one comes in Marrakesh for the climate and, very often there is an apprehension, our objective is to reassure our customers on the security of the city. We give them the information which will immediately enable them to benefit from their stay.
We are at the disposal of our customers constantly of the day to offer advice to them, to book activities, an excursion, a restaurant or to even go to buy a train ticket or bus to them. We can also go in the souks with our guests and negotiate the prices.”
19. Jeff – The Welsh Hills Inn
“One of the things that we always try to do is to tune-in to the type of experience that our guests are looking to have and then quietly delivering it for them. We work hard to make every single one of our guests feel special and welcome in our entire home and property throughout their stay.
With our inn, we have worked to create an environment that is comfortable, relaxing, not stuffy, and pleasing to the eye. We have collected original art and antiques throughout The Inn so that each space is unique and eclectic. There’s something for everyone.
We always provide beautifully plated, displayed, and healthy meals – breakfast, lunch, or dinner and focus on locally produced ingredients, including right from the grounds of The Inn.
When you drive up the long, winding drive up to The Inn, one of the first signs that greets our guests says “Welcome Home to The Welsh Hills Inn – Relaxation. Redefined”. Everything we do revolves around making our guests feel right at home and delivering on our promise of an experience of “Relaxation. Redefined.
For us, it’s all about the little things, the finest of details of special touches for our guests – and doing them right.
We have a sign near where out guests enter The Inn for the first time. It reads, “Enter as strangers, leave as friends”. We try to live that quote with every guest that has chosen to getaway at out inn.
Do what you love, love what you do. Owning a B&B/Inn isn’t for everyone. Often you’re up early in the morning and the last ones to bed at night. You have to love entertaining, meeting new people, and having them in your home – but know how to give each of our guests the space that they need to relax and unwind.
We’ve worked hard, over the course of the last six years since we opened our doors to The Inn in September 2010, to make our guests visits more of a destination. There is something for everyone – numerous, quiet outdoor spaces for our guests to escape by themselves, heated swimming pool, regulation clay bocce ball court, an outdoor stone fireplace, outdoor table tennis, darts, giant Jenga, hiking trails, many hammocks throughout the grounds, a fishing pond, and many board games. Guests can be free to interact as much, or as little, as they want with other guests because we’ve worked to create all of these special rooms – both indoors and out.
20. Robert Harrison Aikens – Palm Springs Rendezvous
“PSR is committed to exemplary customer service. Every guest who makes a reservation gets a personal phone call from us a few days prior to their arrival asking them if there is anything we can do for them to make their stay exceptional. We will book dinner reservations, golf tee times, national park tours, arrange balloons, flowers, chocolate dipped strawberries for a special occasion, whatever a guest wants. If not sure we are more than happy to make suggestions.
Once the guests arrive we welcome them with not only a hello but “Welcome Home”. Then instead of just checking them in and sending them off with a key to their room, we offer them ice water and invite them to sit down for a moment while we tell them all about the hotel and the surrounding area. This even includes a local map which we explain and highlight special interests.
Between serving a different gourmet breakfast (in which can cater to dietary needs) and our happy hour (with complimentary cocktails and appetizers), guests just love the homey feel and personal interaction with the staff.
We truly believe “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in something you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed to something you accept no excuses and produce only results.”
We’d like to thank every B&B owner that contributed to this article and gave away their knowledge for everyone to use.